But what is it about diesel exhaust that causes cancer? Diesel exhaust
is made up of
gases and particles, which contain carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur
compounds, formaldehyde, benzene, volatile organic compounds, methanol,
and various other gases… when you are breathing in diesel exhaust,
it is not clean air entering your lungs. OSHA describes
diesel exhaust as being made up primarily of "solid elemental carbon cores"
with "organic carbon compounds adhered to the surfaces;" the
organic carbon includes "polyaromatic hydrocarbons" that cause
cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns that the fine particles in diesel exhaust are so small that they
easily pass through the nose and throat and get lodged in the lungs, posing
significant health risks.

Given this information, it is apparent that diesel exhaust is an alarmingly
dangerous substance rather than a mere nuisance. Railroad workers, however,
may never have been warned about the dangers of diesel exhaust inhalation.

Many railroaders are and have been exposed to diesel exhaust on a daily basis:

At running repair shops, in the diesel shops or diesel terminals with locomotives
idling/running inside the shop;

While in the locomotive cab, with diesel exhaust coming into the cab through
cracked windows, leaky seals, leaking exhaust manifolds or through the
floorboards or engine compartment;

Operating, or being close to someone else operating diesel track equipment,
such as ballast regulators, backhoes, tampers, etc.

If you are a railroad worker who has been diagnosed with lung cancer, or
any disease related to asbestos, diesel exhaust, silica, or other hazards
in the workplace,
contact us to speak with an experienced attorney about your legal rights under the
Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA). In the meantime, you can
also read about the FELA on our website,
here, learn about the statute of limitations for the FELA,
here, and request more information about the FELA,
here.

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